Mobility aids that are currently available in developing countries do not fully meet users’ needs. People require a device that is maneuverable within the home and that can travel long distances on rough roads. To address this problem, we have designed the Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC), a wheelchair-based mobility aid capable of navigating virtually any terrain by optimally utilizing upper body power for propulsion through a variable-speed lever drivetrain. The lever system achieves a 4:1 change in mechanical advantage, equating to leverage that ranges from 0.42X to 1.65X a standard wheelchair hand rim. In comparative trials, the LFC demonstrated capabilities that far exceed those of any mobility aid currently available in the developing world; it was able to cruise on smooth surfaces at 2m/s (5mph), climb muddy, grassy hills with a 1:3 slope, and navigate terrain with a coefficient of rolling resistance as high as 0.48. This operational flexibility should make the LFC usable on any terrain, from rural walking paths to tight indoor confines, and greatly increase the mobility of people with disabilities in developing countries. The LFC may also be attractive to wheelchair users in developed countries, as its performance breadth exceeds that of currently available products.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME 2009 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference
August 30–September 2, 2009
San Diego, California, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Design Engineering Division and Computers in Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4905-7
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
The Design and Testing of a Low-Cost, Globally-Manufacturable, Multi-Speed Mobility Aid Designed for Use on Varied Terrain in Developing and Developed Countries
Amos G. Winter, V,
Amos G. Winter, V
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Mario A. Bollini,
Mario A. Bollini
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Danielle H. DeLatte,
Danielle H. DeLatte
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Harrison F. O’Hanley,
Harrison F. O’Hanley
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Natasha K. Scolnik
Natasha K. Scolnik
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Search for other works by this author on:
Amos G. Winter, V
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Mario A. Bollini
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Danielle H. DeLatte
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Harrison F. O’Hanley
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Natasha K. Scolnik
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Paper No:
DETC2009-87609, pp. 657-663; 7 pages
Published Online:
July 29, 2010
Citation
Winter, AG, V, Bollini, MA, DeLatte, DH, O’Hanley, HF, & Scolnik, NK. "The Design and Testing of a Low-Cost, Globally-Manufacturable, Multi-Speed Mobility Aid Designed for Use on Varied Terrain in Developing and Developed Countries." Proceedings of the ASME 2009 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 8: 14th Design for Manufacturing and the Life Cycle Conference; 6th Symposium on International Design and Design Education; 21st International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology, Parts A and B. San Diego, California, USA. August 30–September 2, 2009. pp. 657-663. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2009-87609
Download citation file:
29
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Stakeholder and Constraint-Driven Innovation of a Novel, Lever-Propelled, All-Terrain Wheelchair
IDETC-CIE2013
The Design, Fabrication, and Performance of the East African Trial Leveraged Freedom Chair
IDETC-CIE2010
Related Articles
Single Channel Hybrid FES Gait Assist System
J. Med. Devices (June,2009)
Effects of Incremental Changes to Frame Mass on Manual Wheelchair Propulsion Cost
ASME Open J. Engineering (January,2023)
Expression of Joint Moment in the Joint Coordinate System
J Biomech Eng (November,2010)
Related Chapters
Speed and Power Models
Design of Human Powered Vehicles
Scope
Consensus on Operating Practices for the Sampling and Monitoring of Feedwater and Boiler Water Chemistry in Modern Industrial Boilers (CRTD-81)
Details of Field Testing of Major Trenchless Technology Methods for Road Crossings
Geological Engineering: Proceedings of the 1 st International Conference (ICGE 2007)